She was thankful she made herself tea to perk her up, because Rarity was still sleepy when she went out on the darkened streets. She had a scarf wrapped around her neck and a warm hat. Fall had begun, and the night air was cold and crisp. She settled at a steady pace to the hospital, deep in thought.
Was she really doing the right thing? She felt like she was, but she had to admit she hated going behind Twilight's back. Twilight was her best friend, and while she was sure their friendship would never break over something like this, she still knew Twilight would be hurt if- or rather, when- she found out. Because Rarity was sure Twilight would figure it out somehow. She was a clever pony, the new princess. And when Twilight came knocking, what could Rarity say to her defense? That she was better suited than Twilight to help Cozy? Was that even true?
Rarity shook her head. She'd cross that bridge when she got to it; right now she had an injured filly back home who needed medical help, and whatever might come of that later, she knew what to do right now. She opened the door to the hospital. A bright-eyed young stallion nodded to her behind the reception. Rarity envied the piping hot mug of strong coffee she could see standing on the counter with him.
"How can I be of service?"
"I need to request a house visit," Rarity said. "I have an injured filly back at my boutique that ought to be looked at as soon as possible. Is it possible to have Nurse Redheart come over? She has always been wonderful with Sweetie Belle."
The clerk nodded and pressed a button to the intercom. "Requesting on Nurse Redheart to the reception for a house call at Carousel Boutique."
"Understood," came a slightly distorted voice from the intercom. The clerk nodded to Rarity. "Take a seat. She should be around in a few minutes, once she had made the round to poor Screwy."
"Any progress with the poor dear?" Rarity asked. She, like most of ponyville, knew of the poor earth pony who thought she was a dog.
"I'm not at liberty to say," the clerk answered. "But Redheart is really sweet with her. If anypony can help, its her."
Rarity nodded and sat down to wait.
She should probably concentrate on getting Cozy back on her hooves first and foremost. Once she had assessed how bad the injury was, she would confer with Twilight. While Twilight would probably want to bring Cozy "home", she was usually not unbending in her will. If she felt like Rarity could make better progress on Cozy's reformation process, then Twilight would probably support it. She nodded to herself. First she had to take care of Cozy and remove any immediate danger. Then contact Twilight and plan the next step.
The clip-clop of hooves on the tile floor forewarned Rarity that Redheart was coming. She stood up just as the white earth pony stepped through a doorway, a first-aid kit saddlebag bouncing on her barrel. "Oh, Rarity? Is there something wrong with Sweetie Belle?"
"No, it's something else this time. Sorry for forcing you out in the cold, but I'd rather not wait."
"Think nothing of it," Redheart said. "The sooner treatment starts, the better." They went out of the hospital. Rarity could see Redheart shudder a little for the cold. She only had her nurse's cap. Rarity undid her scarf and tied it around Redheart's neck with her magic. "Can't have the doctor catch a cold, now can we?"
"Thanks, Rarity, but I'm fine. We earth ponies are a hardy bunch."
"I'd never let a friend who I forced out in the cold freeze, and no buts about it!" Rarity said with a tone that broke no argument, even if she could see Redheart roll her eyes. Still, for all her earth pony hardiness, Redheart still nuzzled the scarf for warmth.
The two of them stepped into the boutique after a few minutes of walking. "Before we proceed, I need to insist on confidentiality," Rarity said. "You are not to talk to anypony about what is wrong with this patient, and you will not tell anypony who she is or that she is here."
Redheart nodded. "You know I never would."
"I do, dear, but… let's just say I have my reasons for reaffirming it. Please, come with me."
Rarity guided Redheart up the stairs and then directly to the right.
The light was still on, and Cozy sat on the bed and nibbled on a scone with honey.
Redheart froze mid step when she laid her eyes on Cozy. Cozy too stopped eating and glared.
"Well, I suppose now you understand why I need your confidentiality," Rarity said, trying to lighten the mood. Redheart simply nodded lamely.
The paralyzed nurse swallowed a few times. When she spoke, her voice sounded a little thin. "And… what seems to be the problem miss… Cozy Glow?"
"My foreleg," Cozy said, completely unnecessarily, but Rarity could not blame Redheart for wanting to regain her footing. Cozy even waved the afflicted leg around.
That seemed to snap Redheart out of her confusion. She went up to the bed and took Cozy's leg in her hooves. Rarity laid down at the end of the bed, just so Cozy could have a pony she trusted in sight all the time. She saw Redheart's mouth settle in a grim line when she turned the foreleg in her hooves.
"Just what have you done, little miss?" she asked sternly. "And more importantly, why did you not get help sooner?"
"I couldn't. And it's not like anypony would help me anyway," Cozy said angrily.
"Then they don't deserve to call themselves doctors," Redheart said. "But that doesn't matter right now…" she put Cozy's foreleg away and started to dig around in her first aid kit.
"How… how is she?" Rarity asked. "She says she can't fly anymore."
"No, certainly not," Redheart said. "The condition is called a Ley-break. It happens to unicorns sometimes; especially those who attempt very challenging magic. All ponies have magic inside them, and sometimes, when it's too forcefully drawn upon, the magic in the body can... well, basically it overloads and harms your body's ability to contain magic the way it should. Since pegasi use their magic to fly, this means you can't fly anymore, nor can you walk on clouds."
"And… how long until she is cured?" Rarity asked warily.
"How long since you did… whatever caused this?" Redheart asked.
"Yesterday night. Little more than a day," Cozy answered, clutching the blanket close for some small protection. She looked very small and vulnerable, sitting there in the bed.
"Then there is not a moment to loose," Redheart said shortly. "Stay in bed and don't try to fly, whatever you do. Rarity, come with me; we need to get some things from the hospital."
"Why didn't you bring it the first time!?" Cozy growled. Luckily Redheart was more than used to dealing with tantrums.
"Because Ley-breaks are extremely rare in a town with mostly earth ponies and pegasi. And none of them should ever get a Ley-break," Redheart said on the way to the door. "Rarity, now."
She jumped off the bed, but did take a moment to pat Cozy's hoof a little. "It'll just be ten or so minutes, dear. You sit tight, and we'll take good care of that hoof soon."
Cozy nodded.
The two mares left the room again and started towards the hospital at a quick pace.
"Just how bad is it?" Rarity asked once they were a little while away from the boutique.
"I've never seen a Ley-break in a pegasus before, or at a hoof," Redheart said. "But I know that if a unicorn had come in with that in her horn after so long, she'd be hard to save. But pegaus magic is mostly conducted through the wings, so maybe it isn't that bad… honestly, the severity of her injury is impossible to judge for me."
Rarity nodded grimly. "Well, then we have not a moment to lose, like you said." She went from trot to gallop. Redheart followed. They all but dashed through the hospital doors and Redheart still didn't even slow down. She kept on going with Rarity at her heels, dashing through a corridor at the ground floor and into a storage room. She threw a pair of saddlebags on Rarity and started cramming down a rolls of a purple, glittering fabric.
"Get to her, use the Stargauze and bandage up her bad leg. I'll be along once I have all the stuff I need from here." She spoke clam and clear, but Redheart was digging frantically through a stand of bottles.
Rarity nodded and ran out the hospital and then through ponyville as fast as her hooves would carry her. She was no longer wearing any clothes, but she was not the least bit cold.
She was panting heavily when she got back to her boutique, and she was sweaty. Normally the mere idea of getting sweaty would put her in the fainting couch. But not tonight. Thank goodness she knew first aid (being the big sister of one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders had taught her that a long time ago).
She took a few moments to collect herself once back in her home. She did not want to stress Cozy by looking too worried. She stepped up the stairs and went inside the room.
Cozy had not moved, but her breath came a bit faster and her wings twitched on her back, like Fluttershy's when she was especially anxious.
"Redheart sent me ahead," Rarity explained and pulled out the roll of sparkling gauze. She had never seen it before, but there was no doubt this was the Stargauze Redheart had talked about. It really did glitter like stars… She cut off a long piece. "Your hoof, dear," Rarity said.
"What are you doing with me?" Cozy asked without belligerence. Rarity and Redheart's hasty departure must have scared her. "Is… is it really bad?"
"Redheart doesn't know; she has never seen this happen to a pegasus before. But don't fret. She has never failed a foal before. Not once."
Cozy held out her hoof. It was shaking slightly underneath the haze of red magic. Rarity quickly and neatly patched it up in a shimmering dressing. The red haze stopped immediately. "There. That should help."
Cozy looked at the dressing and poked it with her good hoof. "What does this do, actually?"
"I don't really know myself," Rarity said. "I trust Redheart and she told me to use this 'stargauze'. But I will be sure to ask her."
"So… when will I be cured?"
"She… doesn't know. Seems that 'Ley-breaks' nearly only happens to us unicorns, and only in our horns. She has never seen this before."
"But… I will be cured, right? Right?" Cozy said.
That was one question Rarity really did not want to answer. How could she tell a foal that Redheart thought a unicorn's injury would be "hard to save" at this time? She couldn't! Nothing was certain, but Cozy would not be comforted by that either! The only things she could say were either bad news or so vague they would only worry her just as much!
Cozy drew a shuddering breath and shut her eyes hard. "Oh golly, I don't want to lose my flight. Oh golly, no… I can't be… I'm not a cripple… I don't want that…”
"It's not at all certain," Rarity said, as soft and tender as she could. "Redheart truly doesn't know, she has never seen an injury like yours before."
"But it's not good, or you'd have said it," Cozy moaned.
"… No, it isn't good. But the truth is, she doesn't know. Its too early for you to give up hope yet."
Cozy's still hiccuped with sobs, her eyes tightly clenched. She looked truly pitiful- crying, small, bandaged and with her mane in a mess. Was this really the same filly who had struck such fear in all of Equestria once?
Rarity sat down by the bed and carefully extended her hooves to hold her former enemy. Cozy batted her away.
"I don't need your sympathy!" She shouted, shakily. She opened her eyes, but they were narrow in rage and filled with tears. "I'M COZY GLOW! I WILL GET BACK AT ALL OF YOU FOR THIS!" She looked at once angry and fearful. For a pony who embodied generosity, not only with material things but also with love and affection, it was torture to see her in such a state.
"Cozy… please, I know you are afraid right now, and rightfully so! I cannot imagine losing my magic. Nopony should have to be so afraid alone! Can… can you please trust me enough to help you, just a little? Just a hug?" Rarity begged her. She could even feel herself tearing up a little.
The anger disappeared. Now she only looked afraid. "Just a hug?"
"Just a hug dear. Promise."
Cozy rubbed her eyes to little avail. "Okay…"
Rarity gently put her forelegs around Cozy and pulled her a little closer. She felt Cozy rest her head on her shoulder and shake a little as she continued to cry. She felt really light. She guessed pegasi must be lighter than unicorns like Sweetie Belle. "I won't get back at you. You're kind." Cozy mumbled.
A discreet cough came from behind them, and Cozy quickly untangled from her. Rarity liked to think she looked a little less pale though.
"I see you got the stargauze on. Good. Keep it on for twelve or so hours, and then reapply new gauze. I will pick up the old one and take it to the hospital for distillation."
"Distillation?" Rarity asked.
"Stargauze is a special material, made to absorb magic. Cozy's body produces some magic naturally, like anypony, but she will need more than that to compensate for the loss. The best we can do is to regain some of the magic she bleeds, so I will distill what is absorbed by the gauze. She should stay inside as much as possible, and absolutely no activities that uses magic- that means trying to use your wings or interact with clouds."
Cozy nodded.
"And plenty of food, water, and rest of course. I will need some time to set up a room for you, but I can have you in a secluded room at the hospital within the hour."
"Is it possible for her to stay with me?" Rarity asked. "I am certain I can provide anything she might require. And surely having some friends around her cannot hurt?"
Redheart considered. "There is only so much I can do at the hospital other than observing... and if staying here makes you fell better, Cozy, then it is not only okay, but recommended."
"I'll stay here then," Cozy said.
Redheart nodded. "You should drink a spoonful of this." She produced a bottle filled with a clear liquid and a spoon. "It's a magic dampener. It prevents some magic from flowing out in your body, so you don't lose it."
Cozy obediently filled the spoon and gulped down the liquid. She grimaced for the taste.
"That's good, Cozy. I will come around tomorrow, but I think that is all I can do for the moment. Rarity, come with me down. There are a few more things you should know, if you are going to look after her."
Rarity followed Redheart down. The nurse almost whispered once they were in the showroom of the boutique. "You should know… this is going to be tougher than I first thought. Normally we give unicorns a supplement of stabilized magic to restore what they lose from the ley-breaks, but unicorn magic is no good for a pegasus. I will try to get pegaus-supplement made, but it will take some time. And I'm not sure how long we have. If she completely loses all magic, then she can never get it back."
"Surely there must be something I can do?" Rarity asked. "Anything at all?"
"Keep her company, keep her relaxed and happy," Redheart said. "Other than that… well, if you know any pegasus who would agree to have some of their magic sapped from them to make the supplement, it would be much appreciated. We just need a little; nothing more dangerous than donating blood."
"You will have it," Rarity said. "Now?"
Redheart shrugged. "If it is possible, then we can start now. Do you have anypony in mind to help?"
"I will ask Fluttershy."
Redheart nodded. "If she agrees, come to the hospital. I will prepare some things there."
"Thank you for coming at this hour, Redheart," Rarity said, her tiredness beginning to come back. "It's… big of you."
"No, I'm doing my job. You on the other hoof… to do what you do to a pony like Cozy Glow. It warms a nurse's heart. It really does."
With that, Redheart left the boutique. Rarity followed her to the door towards Fluttershy's cottage.
A pony stood by Town Hall. Her horn was glowing continuously and her eyes were alight with power, like a purple haze of magic shone from them. "Rarity?" Twilight asked. "I didn't think you'd be up at this hour… but I think we need to talk."
Cozy Glow did not remember falling asleep. She had been hugging Rarity, then the doctor came and told her not to use her magic (not that she could anyway), and then… she could not remember anything more.
But Rarity was not present now and there was light coming in from underneath the curtains, so she must have fallen asleep. Rolling over to the side, she saw a tray of on her bedside table with a note leaning on a steaming cup. Rarity must have just left. Cozy picked up the note with her good hoof. The penmanship was cursive, which Cozy hated reading. She glared at the note and tried to make out the words.
Cozy Glow
I will be out for the morning. Redheart has recommended food and rest, so it would be preferable if you stayed in your room. I will come home and cook you some lunch and dinner, so don't worry about that.
I will visit my parents and notify Sweetie Belle. If I know her right, she will be over as soon as she has had her breakfast.
Remember, Cozy: you are a strong pony. You have shown (through less than savory means) that you always come back from your hardships, tougher than before. You will find a way through this too.
//Rarity
Despite her gnawing terror of losing her flight permanently, the prospect of a visit form her friend did lift her spirits a little. She sat the note down and grabbed a sandwich. This was the first time she had her breakfast in the bed.
She had just eaten when she heard somepony knocking.
"Come in," Cozy Glow said.
"Cozy! Are you alright!? What's happened to you!? Why are you here? Are you hurt? Rarity said you were hurt! Did Twilight let you out!?" Cozy opened her mouth to answer before having the wind knocked from her by Sweetie Belle jumping onto the bed and pinning her down, eyeing her all over and carefully poking at the bandaged hoof.
Cozy pushed her off of her. "A doctor said I… I might lose my flight," she said, felling her ears. Sweetie Belle put her hooves over her mouth in shock. "But I'm tough. I'll find a way through this too. You'll see."
"Yeah! I'm sure you will!" Sweetie Belle said. "And it's not like Twilight would let you lose your flight! She'll help you too."
"Hmph. Maybe I don't even want her help," Cozy said, mostly by instinct.
"What? But… but your flight!" Sweetie Belle sounded absolutely horrified. "Cozy! You can't mean that! You don't actually mean that, right? She doesn't want to hurt you; she just wants to be your friend, like me!"
Cozy glared. "Oh golly, that sounds wonderful," she said sarcastically. "Only, you saved me from my prison, and all Twilight has done is put me in a new prison three times over! You know what; if it got me out, maybe I actually would give up my flight!" She shouted the last part.
Her flight… never being able to feel the breeze in her feathers again. Never more feel that tickling feeling in her stomach as she dove towards the ground. Never again sleep on a soft cloud.
Sweetie Belle almost looked like she might cry. "But… but…" she mumbled. "She just wants to be your friend… how can that be a bad thing?"
Cozy did not answer. Never see Cloudsdale again. Never visit Cheerful Sun again. Never ride on the warm updrafts in summer. Never perfect those things Rumble had started teaching her.
"I don't… " Sweetie Belle's eyes were wet with tears. "Cozy… would you rather I had not talked to Twilight? So… you still was a statue?"
"That's silly," Cozy huffed, brought out of her bleak rumination. "Why would I want that?"
"Because… then you might not be here. Then Twilight could have done better sometime in the future, and you… you would be happier." Sweetie Belle got a look of understanding in her eyes. "This is all my fault, isn't it?" she squeaked.
"No, it's Twilight's," Cozy said. She looked awkwardly at the sniffling Sweetie Belle. What do you do to comfort a crying pony? "Hey, stop crying… please?"
Sweetie Belle took a choppy breath. "But it can't be Twilight's fault! She is kind. And you are too, so it can't be your fault either."
"I have never blamed you for anything," Cozy said. "So you shouldn't either."
Sweetie Belle coughed. "How did this even happen to you? How can you have lost your flight like that? Scootaloo was born with problems, but I know you can fly!"
"I dunno…" Cozy said. "I did something with my rook when I escaped, but why this happened I don't know." She lifted the bandaged hoof. The Stargauze was even sparklier than last night, even if the sparkles were noticeably redder now from having sucked up her magic. She wondered briefly why her magic was red. Did anypony know why different ponies had different colors on their magic?
"Oh… I thought maybe Twilight had taken you here," Sweetie Belle said. "That you hadn't escaped, but just… I dunno… just hadn't escaped."
"You're really naïve then," Cozy said. "I will never stop trying. Ever, until I'm a princess with so many friends nopony can deny my power. Then, like chess, I will have won. I will have so many pieces that nopony else can hope to win."
Sweetie Belle looked at Cozy with something strange in her eyes. "Is… that we are to you?" she asked quietly. "Am I really just a chess piece? Rumble and Rarity too?"
"Yes," Cozy did not say.
She wanted to, because that's what everypony had always been to her. So why did it feel so wrong now, all of a sudden? Why could she not say it to Sweetie Belle now? "No… not you three," she said instead. She fell back into her pile of pillows. "Golly, there really is something wrong with me…"
Sweetie Belle squeaked so loud Cozy thought she would get tinnitus. Then she felt hooves around her barrel, then she was squeezed tightly against Sweetie Belle.
Well, at least she wasn't crying anymore…
Sweetie Belle made Cozy to explain what had happened during her escape. After, Sweetie Belle had a proud grin on her face. "I know what your cutie mark is now!" She chirped.
Cozy smirked faintly. "You know one thing it is. I think my cutie mark means more things than it does for most ponies. It's a rook; because I like chess, but also because I have a penchant for manipulation."
"And for making magical machines," Sweetie Belle said. "You got it for making your rook thingy, and with what you just told me, it's not just a statuette. It's a small machine." Cozy felt a pang of loss for her rook. Last time she lost it, it was years before she got it back.
"Artifact," Cozy corrected. "Machines run on steam or electricity. Artifacts work with magic."
"So you are an… artifactist?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Artificer. I… guess I could have been," Cozy admitted. She looked at the drawn curtains. "You know, you're the second pony I know who got that. Even after I used the six legendary artifacts to contain Starlight and wipe out all magic from Equestria… and after I learned to use Grogar's Bell… nopony seems to know I have a penchant for artifacts."
Sweetie Belle looked quizzically at her. "Is that a rare talent? I don't think I know anypony else who could make artifacts."
Neither did Cozy. She knew her talent was rare. Rare enough for ponies to see her as an asset, rather than a pony.
"You know, I bet you could help a lot of ponies with that talent," Sweetie Belle said.
"I don't care," Cozy said. "I only want to help myself."
Sweetie Belle looked sly. "You don't realize, Cozy, but now you don't have a choice anymore. Because I understand cutie marks. And In my expert opinion, your cutie mark means you should help other ponies with your artifacts."
"That… is not how it works," Cozy deadpanned. "My cutie mark does not mean whatever you say it means!"
"Does too!"
"Does not!"
"Does too!" Sweetie Belle stuck out her tongue with a smile.
"Girls," a new voice interjected. Both foals looked to the door. Redheart stood there with a pair of saddlebags. "I must insist you do not agitate my patient," she said to Sweetie Belle. "She needs calm."
"Oh, sorry."
Redheart nodded. "I'm just here to change the bandage and give you some medicine," Redheart said and pulled out a new swatch of Stargauze. She undid Cozy's dressing and reapplied the new one with quick, practiced motions. Then she folded the old, still sparkly fabric into a square and put it in her saddlebags. Out came a small bottle of pills. They were glowing soft purple. "Take one after breakfast, lunch and dinner. So three every day. It's magic, to help you outlast the bleeding."
Cozy took a pill and swallowed it dry. It didn't taste anything.
Sweetie Belle looked sympathetic. "You'll be better soon, Cozy."
Cozy nodded. "Do you… have a chessboard?"
"Yeah… you'll play soon, but first I wanna say that you have friends who care about you. Okay? Don't forget that. If you are doing something wrong, a friend will set you right!" Sweetie Belle said the last part very quickly and rushed out of the room.
...
"Well that was weird," Cozy said to the empty room.
Sweetie Belle hadn't fully closed the door.
In the opening stood Twilight Sparkle.